Otago Fish and Game chief executive calls time

Otago Fish and Game Council’s chief executive, Niall Watson has given notice of his intention to retire in the first half of the New Year.

The position is being advertised over the holiday period with a closing date of 14 January 2018.

The Council aims to complete the change by end of April.

Otago Fish and Game chair, Monty Wright, noted that Mr Watson had had a 39 year career in fish and game management, of which 37 had been in Otago first as manager of Otago Acclimatisation Society and from 1990 following Government’s Conservation Law Reforms as chief executive of Otago Fish and Game Council.

“While Niall will be a hard act to follow, I’m sure there will be strong interest in the position from quality candidates.

The Council’s involvement in RMA planning processes, putting the case for healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands, and for public access to them, is vitally important to the whole Otago community ” Mr Wright says.

“That has been particularly challenging over the last 15 years because of land use intensification and water quality impacts and also currently with the transition from mining privileges to RMA consents for irrigation water takes”

Niall Watson says “Working for Fish and Game has been immensely satisfying in many ways, always challenging and more than a little frustrating at times.

Satisfying because of the commitment of councillors, staff and our allies to do better for freshwater resources in Otago and because of the support we receive from anglers and hunters.

Challenging and frustrating because changing patterns of land and water use regularly throw up new threats to water quality, river flows and natural character which in turn impact adversely on public waterways and recreational fisheries.

Having said that I know Otago’s rivers, lakes and wetlands are better off for Fish and Game’s efforts over the years”.